Sunday, February 04, 2007

In the lexicon of political insults it will take some beating. Already known for his somewhat colourful use of language Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez has probably written himself into the history books for a new sidewipe at his US counterpart George Bush.

In the latest salvo in the war of words between the two countries Mr Chávez described Mr Bush as "evil," a "criminal" but then added that he was "more dangerous than a monkey with a razor blade".

The comment came during a news conference in Caracas in which Mr Chávez responded to accusations made earlier this week by Mr Bush that he was "undermining ... democratic institutions" by the recent passage of a controversial enabling law to allow for government by decree.

Referring to the war in Iraq, Mr Chávez said that both Mr Bush and John Negroponte, the US director of national intelligence, should be tried for "war crimes ... the two of them are criminals. They should be tried and thrown in prison for the rest of their days." He added: "I pray to God for the people of the United States. I hope they're capable of liberating themselves from the tyranny they have. Who would be the greater fascist - Hitler or Bush? They might end up in a draw."

Insults have been fired between US politicians and Venezuela for some months now. Nancy Pelosi, the new speaker of the house and a Democrat, said of Mr Chávez's earlier remarks at the UN that "he fancies himself as a modern day Simón Bolívar, but all he is an everyday thug."

Politicians have swapped insults for generations. In Britain, the former Liberal MP Clement Freud once described Margaret Thatcher as "Attila the Hen". Former French president François Mitterrand said: "She has the mouth of Marilyn Monroe and the eyes of Caligula."